老人照護問題是社會問題，也楚社會福利政策重點，而了解民眾對長期照護的需要，則可是政策發展長期照護資源的重要基礎。因此，本研究旨在探討南部地區民眾對長期照護服務的認知及使用意向，並從社會心理學角度切入，分析民眾對服務使用意願的差異性極可能歸因爲何，以作爲我國制定區域性長期照護政策之參考。本研究是以台南縣市及高雄縣市民眾爲對象，以橫斷研究方法，採問卷面訪方式進行資料收集，完訪樣本計425人，回收率爲77.2%。研究結果顯示民眾對長期照護服務的認知度以機構式照護服務最高；對居家式及社區式照護服務的認知度，以喘息服務最低（僅佔31.3%)，緊急救援服務次低(55.5%)。至於使用意願方面則以社區式照護服務的接受度最高（達94.1%），最不願意使用者則是機構式照護服務。影響因素方面以疾病狀況、擔心老年後需長時間給人照顧、及社區照顧來源不容易等自覺威脅院的因素爲主，而與年齡、省籍及居家照護認知動等因素亦有相關。透過本研究可知南部地區民眾對新型態的長期照護服務缺乏概念，建議政府能加強宣導，提昇南部民眾對長期照護服務的相關資訊並正確使用服務。

The elderly care is not only a social issue but also a main policy of social welfare. To know the public need of long term care is a key point of policy on the long term care resources development. This article presents a comparative analysis of the level of awareness and willingness to use of long term care services by 425 peoples in Southern Taiwan, and to exploring the factors of the difference of willingness with social-psychology perspective. The study subjects were from Tainan and Kaohsiung districts and use cross-sectional survey method. The data was collected with questionnaire by face to face interview. The respondent rate was 77.2%. We found extremely low levels of awareness of community-based long term care among southern Taiwan peoples, especially respite care (31.3%) and emergency call services (55.5%). Intentions to use the community-based long term care services were relatively high in community-based care (94.1%), and were influenced by disease status, afraid of long period care by others in aged, and difficult to obtain the help of neighborhood. The intentions were lower in younger. Policies to increase the advertise the community based long term care services and correct services information in Southern Taiwan were strongly recommended.